


mistakes (i can't help it)

by mimotozakis



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Minor Character Death, Unrequited Love, i'll update the characters and relationships when they appear, i'm sorry in advance, squint for the other members
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2018-12-31 15:08:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12135117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimotozakis/pseuds/mimotozakis
Summary: Momo can't say that her life is falling apart, but it certainly feels like it is.(She can't say that she's not dragging anyone else down for the fall either.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this got way longer than i intended, but that's what happens when you get carried away.
> 
> you can find me @ mimotozakis on tumblr

Momo has her fair selection of bad decisions, like everyone else does. Perhaps she has a few that are worse than the average person, and perhaps it’s even worse that Momo doesn’t regret making them, but what’s the fun in being a good girl when you could create trouble and mess your life up?

 

Maybe she’ll make her entire life a collection of mistakes.

 

A series of beautiful blunders.

 

*

 

She supposes her very first mistake in life is really, knocking over her mom’s favourite vase when she was barely three and excitedly running around as she was being chased by her older sister. But her sister took the blame for that.

 

So she guesses she can skip the twelve, very boring, first years of her life, and move on to the _real_ first mistake – looking out the window of her room.

 

It was hectic that day, with her family settling into their new home and unpacking an endless array of boxes. They’ve, of course, set up most of Momo’s new room first – she’s their little princess, after all – and Momo was only left to unpack two boxes of clothes before she’s fully settled in. It’s a relatively big apartment, on the second floor of a modern apartment building somewhere in Seoul – she hadn’t really gotten accustomed to Seoul, and she’d be damned if she even attempted to because she could barely pronounce _hello, I’m Momo_.

 

She looked out the window – it’s only 4 pm, but they’d halted their unpacking for her mother to do some grocery shopping to cook dinner. They hadn’t figured out how delivery worked, after all.

 

The atmosphere was different to the one in her hometown in Kyoto, but Momo didn’t mind. Across the street was a convenience store, and a bunch of different shops with names written in Korean – she’d only learnt how to spell her name in Korean, and her address, for safety reasons – and Momo was about to walk away from the window when she heard a, loud, shrill voice yelling, “Mama, this is so _delicious!_ ” in perfect, Osaka-accented Japanese.

 

She looked across the street to see the source and saw a girl who looked just her age, holding bread in her hands as she walked alongside an older woman. The girl had a wide grin on her face, biting and chewing the bread excitedly, and Momo watched as the girl entered their apartment building.

 

And thirteen-year-old Momo was excited to make friends with the other Japanese girl in the apartment building.

 

*

 

Her second mistake came the following Monday – the day she had to be transferred into school.

 

It was terrifying, to say the least. Momo who was barely thirteen and barely knew _any_ Korean, had been tasked to go to an ordinary, neighbourhood middle school, where she had to learn in a language she barely understood. Sure, it was everyone’s first year in middle school, but it was now somewhere halfway into the year, and everyone had their own friends already.

 

She’d wished to meet with the Japanese girl she saw when she moved in – maybe she’d be able to survive with her around. But Momo hadn’t spotted said girl at all when she was summoned into her homeroom that morning, and Momo could only guess that she was supposed to introduce herself when she found herself face to face with her entire homeroom staring, wide-eyed at her, in complete silence after the teacher had stopped talking.

 

Momo’s month of practicing the pronounciation of _Hello, I’m Momo_ went straight out the window as she instantly felt the pressure of all those eyes directed at her, and she’d wished that maybe her friends back in Japan would save her, or even the Japanese girl she’d spotte—

 

“Excuse me,” someone said, in smooth, silky Japanese.

 

Momo’s eyes caught the source, and she felt herself calming when she noticed the girl at the very back, hand raised high as she continued, in a language that Momo found comfort in due to her complete understanding when the girl smoothly said, “She’s asking you to introduce yourself.”

 

And Momo wanted to tell her that she knew. She knew that she had to introduce herself. It’s just that she forgot how, and Momo doesn’t do well with strangers, and—

 

Momo found herself face to face with the girl when her eyes shot open – she didn’t even know she had them shut – when she felt warm fingertips grazing across her knuckles. The girl gave her a warm smile, muttering, “What’s your name?”

 

Momo let the girl take her hand, and Momo stuttered out, “H-Hirai Momo.”

 

The girl nodded, moving to Momo’s side and announcing something to the class in Korean, but Momo recognized her name, and Momo looked over at the girl, who gave her a small smile.

 

When the girl took her to the back, where the girl was originally sitting, she pulled out the seat next to her, patting it gently, “Sit.”

 

Momo nodded, settling herself next to the girl, and she sat stiffly, eyes directed to the front and hearing the flurry of Korean from the teacher jumble around her brain nearly made her cry. She turned when she felt a tap on her arm, and the girl slid over a piece of paper – their schedule for all the days, in neat Japanese.

 

Momo raised her eyes, just about to say “Thank you” when the girl cut her off.

 

“I’m Myoui Mina,” the girl said, with the same warm smile, “Nice to meet you.”

 

And that was how Momo met her first pitfall.

 

*

 

Somewhere between adjusting to life in Seoul, learning Korean and spending the better part of her days with Mina, Momo finds herself considering Mina as her best friend. It’s never been officially established, but it feels that way. They’re closer to each other than anyone else in the entire middle school. They share the same interest – dance, though Mina in ballet and Momo in urban and hip hop – and they have an extraordinary bond that makes even their teachers scared to separate them.

 

They’re always together for everything – projects, group discussions and pair discussions. They communicate in Korean more often than Japanese, other than when Momo doesn’t understand – an effort to improve in their Korean.

 

Momo never expected to get close to someone this fast, especially not someone like Mina. She hears from others that Mina’s usually shy and reserved – choosing to stay silent for the most part, unless required during discussions. She’s diligent and humble even though she’s from a rich family. No one seems to be able to truly befriend her.

 

That’s probably one of the reasons why Momo treasures Mina so much. She makes Momo feel special. Momo wants Mina to feel special too.

 

*

 

Momo likes to pretend that her family isn’t one of her greatest pitfalls in life – next to, of course, the two other pitfalls she holds close. Like it isn’t one of the reasons Momo’s life turned out this way and not any better.

 

Momo’s father is indicated as her guardian in every legal system, and he is also indicated as the owner of the apartment Momo lives in, but there’s no one to greet her when she opens the door to the apartment, murmuring, “I’m home.”

 

(It had been a tradition before the family slowly fell apart. Momo likes to think that they haven’t.)

 

Just barely half a year after they moved to Seoul, Momo’s parents started arguing.

 

It wasn’t the same as when they’d bicker and everything would be solved in hours, or a few days, at worst. Momo wondered why it all happened – they hadn’t bothered to tell her since she was _too young to understand._ Momo knows it’s not her fault that her family fell apart. Momo knows it’s not her fault that all she could do was watch.

 

(Momo has an incessant nagging feeling at the back of her mind, and it tells Momo that it really is all her fault.

 

Momo lets the nagging get to her at times. It’s inevitable.)

 

*

 

There wasn’t any divorce.

 

A hit-and-run, they said.

 

Mina stays by Momo’s side during the entire procession, doesn’t leave Momo’s side other than to take food to feed Momo with. Momo has her palm pressed against Mina’s, Mina holding her hand firmly yet warmly. Momo’s father doesn’t cry, and tells Momo that they can’t bring the bodies back to Japan – it’d cost too much.

 

(Momo’s known from a young age that money isn’t quite a problem for her family, and it hasn’t been their main concern. She tries to ignore it.)

 

Only one of her three aunts visit, and it’s the one that perpetually hates her father. Though she stays calm, she curses at her father at least thrice in the course of the procession. Momo doesn’t blame her and sticks a little closer to Mina.

 

They move just a little over two weeks after the funeral, into an apartment that’s a little more modern and fits more with her father’s tastes – her mother preferred something that’s somewhat closer to the traditional side, wood and all. Momo doesn’t mind. It’s closer to school, and closer to Mina.

 

When Mina finds out, Mina offers to pick Momo up every morning – “ _We can go to school together! It’ll be great!”_ And Momo agrees easily. Her father is even happier about it – he’d been talking about how sending Momo to school makes him late for his meetings on certain days, and Momo’s mother hadn’t been there to scold him about it.

 

Sometimes Mina comes even earlier and takes the initiative to wake Momo up on her own. Momo would wake up to Mina grinning happily as she gives Momo a determined shake and a, “Wake up, Moguri!” They’d eat breakfast together and they’d stroll to school together, waving at Momo’s father who waves as he passes in his car.

 

Somehow, Momo’s father comes home later and later, with Momo being left at home to take care of herself. She doesn’t tell Mina – she knew the girl would trouble herself with taking care of Momo. And it’s not like she knows how to cook anything, so for most part of the evening, Momo would do her homework while eating chips and cereal. That’s no guarantee that her father would bring back something for her to eat, though. Sometimes he apologizes when he sees Momo, sounding as if he had _just_ remembered that he still has a daughter left.

 

When Mina asks Momo if she could stay for the night one day, she slightly hesitates. She wonders if she should even bother asking her father – it’s not like he’ll notice. But the way Mina is flashing her gummy smile after her excited burst of “Let’s have a sleepover!” makes it hard for Momo to say no. So she nods, giving Mina a smile.

 

She does ask her father, and he says yes.

 

So when Mina walks home with Momo the next afternoon, Momo halts in place halfway. Mina’s tugged back by their laced hands, and she turns to look at her concernedly.

 

“We— um,” Momo hesitates.

 

Mina has maids to cook for her at home. What would she think of Momo if Momo told her that they’d have to buy takeout? Surely, it’s better if Mina were to return home and eat a warm, healthy dinner with her family instead of Momo.

 

“Momoring?” Mina asks, confusedly, frowning as she moves closer to Momo, “What’s wrong?”

 

But this is Mina. Lovely Myoui Mina who is her best friend, and has never looked down upon her even when she accidentally stumbled over a ledge and nearly broke her nose. Myoui Mina who wakes Momo up on the _good days_ and leads a sleepy Momo through her morning routine – she stands behind Momo as she holds Momo’s hand, essentially brushing her teeth for her, with her nose crinkled as she laughs. Myoui Mina who has the brightest gummy smile, and moles that litter her face like little beauty marks. Myoui Mina who Momo has fallen in love with.

 

Surely, she’ll love Momo as she is, right?

 

“We’ll have to, uh,” Momo pauses, throat bobbing as she swallows, “Get takeout. Dad won’t be home till late.”

 

And there’s a nerve-wracking moment that passes before Mina visibly brightens, “Alright! I’ve been craving for some fried chicken.”

 

So that’s how they end up curled together in the couch, stomachs full from fried chicken from their favourite chain, and watching the second movie of the Harry Potter series – of course, they started with the first, as per Mina’s instructions – when Momo’s father returns at 3 am. He greets the girls with a confused, “Oh, right. Hey, you two.”

 

Momo doesn’t look up from the patterns on their shared blanket even as Mina greets him with a polite, “Hello, Mr Hirai.”

 

He nods, returning Mina a smile when he says, “Ah, right. I forgot to buy food again. Did you two eat already?”

 

“Yes,” Momo deadpans, “We got fried chicken.”

 

Momo’s father smiles a little bitterly at Momo’s response, but he nods anyway, “Don’t stay up too late. Goodnight.”

 

Momo’s father disappears into his room before they could even respond, and Momo just shifts herself closer to Mina, nuzzling her nose into Mina’s shoulder. Mina’s hand comes up to stroke Momo’s hair, “Are you tired?”

 

Momo shakes her head, but a tear naturally falls and her heart drops when she feels Mina stiffen, and there’s a whisper of, “Moguri? What’s wrong?”

 

Momo grips onto Mina’s sleeve, and she breaks down into a rack of sobs.

 

(Momo tells Mina about everything that night.

 

Mina gives her a gentle peck on her crown and tells Momo that she’ll love her enough for all the people who don’t.

 

Momo doesn’t believe her, but she finds that her sobbing stops anyway.)

 

 

 

*

 

Through the next year, Momo’s father begins his frequent trips to Japan. It starts off with just three days just twice a month maybe, and Momo knew it was only a matter of time before her father doesn’t return home at all.

 

She’s right.

 

Her father tells her that he’s been promoted and he’s being transferred back to Japan. He doesn’t ask Momo if she’d like to come along to Japan. Maybe he knows Momo wouldn’t say yes, probably not, though.

n

He packs his clothes, leaves the ones her mother bought for him, and moves out just three weeks later on a Friday night. He tells her to fax over any forms he has to sign, any bills or taxes he has to pay. There’s a credit card and debit card in her hand just a moment later, and he says he’ll give her money every month. His “I love you” scrapes through the air as he presses a kiss onto the crown of her head. He says he’ll visit. Momo hopes he will, but Momo thinks he won’t.

 

He leaves with a luggage full of his belongings, and a suitcase. Momo doesn’t see him off at the airport, because he shuts the door behind him, and Momo feels so incredibly _alone_ when she turns, and all she sees is the still furniture.

 

Mina receives a call from a sobbing Momo just a moment later, and Mina wastes no time in bringing over a tub of ice cream and a bunch of her clothes. The ice cream tastes bittersweet, and she’s still sobbing as she scoops ice cream into her mouth. Mina’s chuckling but it’s more comforting than mocking, because Mina presses a gentle peck on her temple.

 

Momo smiles, tears slowing to a halt a little after, and they’re halfway through Finding Nemo when the doorbell rings. Mina pries herself away from Momo’s hold to open the door. A moment later, Momo finds herself seated across from Mina, eating home-cooked dishes from Mina’s maids.

 

“Moguri,” Mina calls, gaining Momo’s attention from her plateful of food, “Do you want to move into my house?”

 

“We can share a room. Or you could take one of the spare rooms we have,” Mina explains quickly before Momo could even react, “So you won’t be lonely.”

 

It’s only natural for Momo to say no, thanking Mina for the offer – she doesn’t want to trouble the family, though Momo seems like their second daughter. They’ve always been fond of Momo – the first friend Mina’s ever made, talked about and brought home. But troubling someone isn’t in Momo’s nature.

 

Momo falls asleep to Mina’s soft breathing and murmur of _goodnight, Moguri_ and wakes up the same way. Mina’s eyes are already open when Momo opens hers, and Mina seems to have been staring at Momo. Mina’s mutter of _good morning_ almost passes without Momo responding because the sunlight filters through Momo’s blinds, casting soft stripes of shadows and light against Mina’s features and makes Mina look like an angel with a golden halo and glowing eyes.

 

Mina’s most probably the most beautiful girl in the world.

 

"You feeling better?”

 

Mina’s voice is soft and lilting – almost as much as how Momo thinks Mina’s lips would be.

 

“Yeah,” Momo smiles, voice rough from sleep – she can’t figure out if her eyes are swollen from all the crying she did yesterday, “Thanks to you.”

 

Mina chuckles, squeezing at the skin of Momo’s waist – Momo wonders if she had her hand there the entire night, “It’s what you do for the people you love, isn’t it? Making sure they’re happy. It’s my job – making sure you’re happy.”

 

They don’t get out of bed until two hours later, with cereal for breakfast and sunlight filtering through the glass windows.

 

Momo watches the way Mina scoops the cereal into her mouth with her pinky held up as if they’re at a classy tea party, she smiles because it’s just so incredibly _Mina_ and Momo thinks Mina really does make her happy. Mina makes Momo happy with the simplest antics, and with just being Mina. Yeah, Mina does make Momo happy.

 

“It’s my job too, you know?” Momo says, gaining Mina’s attention. Momo’s smile brightens when she sees Mina’s wide eyes staring at her confusedly, and it makes Momo happy.

 

“It’s my job to make sure you’re happy too.”

 

Mina flashes her thousand megawatt smile that comes with a side of Mina’s gums and the one silver tooth Mina has, and Momo feels her heart swell.

 

(Momo wonders if she makes Mina as happy as Mina makes her.)

 

*

 

Mina celebrates her birthday with Momo right by her side.

 

Momo greets her at midnight – they agreed on a sleepover. They were put to bed at 10, and Mina had already been asleep for a good hour before the lights turned on, right at midnight, and Momo is yelling, “Happy birthday, Minari!”

 

Mina feels Momo’s weight on top of her not too long after when Momo envelopes the barely awake Mina in a tight hug, giving her a sloppy peck on her cheek as a a birthday gift (one of them, anyway). Mina’s parents come in just then, with candles on cake and the birthday song in Japanese. They don’t sleep until after they finish half the cake between the two of them at 2 am. Mina sleeps with Momo embracing her, whispering, “Happy birthday, Minari. I love you.”

 

Mina says it back with a grin, snuggling further into Momo, holding Momo closer.

 

Breakfast consists of burnt pancakes by Momo, and more than edible pancakes by Mina’s mother.

 

(Momo tried, really. She’s just really bad at it.)

 

They play footsie under the table while Mina’s parents suggest things they could do for the day. They’re not really listening, and Mina is winning, but that’s only because Mina knows how to tickle with her toes. Momo glares at her over the table as she retracts her foot for a moment, and Mina’s smirk only motivates Momo even more. Mina’s parents’ words go unheard as Mina snickers when Momo finally gives in, mouthing a, “Fine, you win. But just this once.”

 

(Mina’s won countless of times, really. Momo’s only won once. On her birthday.)

 

They spend lunch eating Mina’s favourite food at Mina’s favourite restaurant, and most of the time before dinner at an arcade near school. Mina naturally wins all the games, other than Dance Dance Revolution, at which Momo wins with a _slight_ margin.

 

Momo is incredibly smug after, grinning at Mina and eyeing her haughtily, “Guess you can’t beat me at one game.”

 

“Moguri, you won by 20 points,” Mina scoffs.

 

“I still won,” Momo states a matter-of-factly.

 

“Too bad there weren’t any bets on that game,” Mina snorts as they head off to another game.

 

Momo glares at Mina, who sticks her tongue out in response.

 

Mina laughs, taking Momo’s hand naturally, and pulling her to the counter, “Let’s trade these tickets and then get ice cream.”

 

Turns out they can only get a few things with the tickets they have, and Momo murmurs a, “This place is a cheat.”

 

Mina gives her a nudge with her elbow, and she takes the amount of lollipops they can get with the tickets they have – eight, and Momo sneers at the man at the counter as she unwraps one and pops it into her mouth. Mina nudges Momo at her blatant disobedience, and apologizes on her behalf before dragging her out of the arcade.

 

Momo gets a minute’s worth of scolding from Mina, and Momo just barely makes Mina stop by shoving her lollipop into Mina’s mouth.

 

“I’m sorry, yeah?” Momo says after, lips shiny, and evidently unapologetic, “Let’s get ice cream.”

 

Mina shuts up, though a little against her will, and they get three cups of ice cream instead of two. They share the third, though it’s mostly eaten by Momo, and then they’re out again, in the park outside the ice cream parlour.

 

“I heard there’s going to be cherry blossoms in May,” Mina mutters, tightening her grip on Momo’s hand to gain her attention, “Let’s go together?”

 

Momo pulls the lollipop out of her mouth, grinning, “Of course.”

 

The satisfied tug on Momo’s hand reminds Momo: _Who else would I go with anyway?_

 

*

 

Momo discovers – almost painfully – that Mina could most possibly be the most beautiful being in the universe.

 

Mina’s palm is warm against Momo’s, like the rest of Mina usually is. There’s more people than she would like there to be, but there’s enough space for the both of them to walk without being bumped into, so Momo sticks as close as she could to Mina.

 

Momo isn’t stunned by how beautiful Mina looks under the soft lantern light as much as she’s stunned by how she feels about it. There’s thoughts of how she wants her lips against Mina’s and how she has this uncomfortable feeling in her stomac— _butterflies! That’s what Mina said it was!_ And how she just wants Mina closer even when Mina already is close. She feels everything Mina said she would feel when she’s in love.

 

And that’s how Momo discovers that she’s in love. She discovers love while Mina is under the warm yellow light of the traditional lanterns, with the constant murmuring of the crowd in the background, and Mina staring up at pink cherry blossoms with eyes filled with admiration. Momo discovers that she finds Mina to be the most beautiful girl in the world, h

 

Momo classifies her fall for Mina to be a slowburn movie that is much longer than in needs to be, but is good anyway. She falls further, but she smiles through this part of the story.

 

*

 

Momo’s confession is much less than extravagant. It also happens to be her fifth – is it the fifth? She doesn’t know anymore – blunder in her 15 years of living. Momo’s confession is simple.

 

“Hey Minari,” Momo calls, and Mina raises her head promptly, sweeping her hair out of her face, “I like you.”

 

Her words are soft and casual, like they’re in the cafeteria discussing what they should do after school. Momo fidgets a little more, fingers gripping at her pen tightly and her heart is pounding so hard she can hardly hear herself think.

 

Mina makes it a little more complicated.

 

She raises an eyebrow, lips parting to form an upside down triangle, and she says, almost like a question, “I like you too?”

 

“No, no,” Momo says quickly, “I like you, Mina. Like, you know, with the butterflies.”

 

“Oh,” Mina scrunches her nose, and her smile is strange, somehow. They’ve known each other for a few years now, and Momo doesn’t understand her expression. Maybe Momo doesn’t know Mina as well as she thought she does.

 

Mina’s rejection is even more complicated.

 

“Momo,” Mina says, gentle and careful. She has a hand gently placed on top of Momo’s as she looks at Momo with nervous eyes, “You mean a lot to me. You really do.”

 

Mina sucks in a deep breath, and Momo feels like it’s Mina confessing instead of the other way round. Mina speaks like she’s treading over broken glass. Because she’s holding Momo’s heart in her hand, and she’s crushing it, but she doesn’t want it to hurt more.

 

“It’s just— different.”

 

And just for good measure, she adds, nails piercing into Momo’s racing heart, “You’ll always mean a lot to me.”

 

Mina doesn’t leave her apartment even after that. Instead, she stays the night – she knows Momo will cry if she leaves – and they lay together in bed. Mina holds Momo close, nose digging into Momo’s shoulder. Momo sighs, gently draping her arm over Mina’s waist, and settling her head in the crook of Mina’s neck. Mina leaves a peck on the exposed skin of Momo’s shoulder, and tugs her closer.

 

Momo figures that’s Mina’s way of apologizing.

 

(Apologies don’t mend a broken heart.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry it took me so long omg

Momo’s not sure if she ever got over Mina as a whole, though she highly believes that she did.

 

Maybe that’s the worst part of falling in love with your best friend.

 

Sure, there’s been many stories where friendships fall apart because of unrequited feelings. Momo thinks they’re tragic, really. But it somehow feels worse that Mina stays true to her words – still makes sure that Momo knows that Momo means a lot to Mina and still makes the effort to make sure Momo’s happy.

 

(Momo’s painfully aware that Mina still makes sure she’s happy.

 

Momo’s painfully aware that she’s one of the people Mina wants to make sure is happy.

 

_It’s what you do for the people you love, isn’t it?)_

Everything’s the same, from the way Mina’s eyes drip with honey when she looks at Momo, to the way that Momo wakes up to Mina’s bright smile nearly every morning with breakfast from Mina’s home. Mina still holds Momo’s hand, and as Momo feels her heart constricting, she tells herself that maybe she’s too immature to know about love.

 

*

 

Momo celebrates her birthday with Mina, playing Dance Dance Revolution at the same arcade they went to on Mina’s birthday. Ice cream was eaten, even though it’s cold because _winter_. Mina’s parents wish Momo a happy birthday as they get driven around, and Momo feels her heart warm a little more.

 

It’s when they’re on the closing course of Momo’s birthday, at 10 p.m, after two regular pizzas and several cups of hot chocolate, that Momo notices that Mina is a little antsy.

 

Momo doesn’t ask – figures that Mina would tell her if she wanted to.

 

“I’m going back to Japan for a while during the winter break,” Mina finally says, wriggling her toes. Momo feels her toes brush against her calf under her blanket, and she shifts, giving Mina a face as Mina laughs.

 

“How long?” Momo asks, looking up from the patterned blanket.

 

“Two weeks,” Mina says with a wry smile, studying Momo’s expression.

 

There’s a pause as Momo picks at the lint of the blanket – one of Mina’s past Christmas gifts to her, and Momo just hums an acknowledgement.

 

_Christmas and New Years without Mina._

 

“You can come along,” Mina says, tentatively, “I want you to.”

 

It’s not something Momo has to ponder about, because traveling with Mina’s family would mean she’s intruding their time together, and it’s not like she’d like to visit her father anytime soon. Mina sighs, knowing fully well what Momo’s silence means, and she looks down at the blanket and presses at one of the animal faces on the blanket, preparing herself for the answer she knows she’s going to get.

 

“You know I don’t like to intrude,” Momo says, gently. She sees the way Mina’s fringe falls and covers her face and she leans forward, sweeping Mina’s fringe and tucking it behind her ear as Mina looks up at her with guilty eyes. Momo smiles, scooting herself forward even more, with her knees to her chest and she leans her forehead against Mina’s, “I’ll be fine.”

 

Momo’s bangs fall into Mina’s eyes, and she squeezes her eyes shut, frowning, “You need to get your bangs cut.”

 

Momo leans back, laughing, “I will.”

 

(Mina knows Momo really means it as a promise: She’ll be fine.)

 

 

*

 

Mina’s maids have delivered more than enough food for Momo – as per Mina’s requests – somewhere in the afternoon, along with her Christmas gifts from Mina and her parents. It’s lonely, but she’d rather be alone than invade Mina’s family again, even though she knows she’s more than welcomed.

 

She’s on a Skype call with Mina in the evening when her father calls.

 

She’s wary when she picks it up, but the first thing she hears from the speaker is loud laughter from her father. She meets Mina’s worried eyes through the screen, and she nods.

 

_I’ll be fine._

It takes less than a minute later for Momo to realize that _no, she will not be fine._

 

Momo’s father tells her that he’s engaged, between chuckles and yelling to others in the background, and Momo congratulates him, through gritted teeth. He tells her he loves her when he’s about to hang up, and that her Christmas gift should be arriving soon.

 

It’s much harder to comfort someone over a call, Mina quickly realizes, as she watches Momo’s crying form apologetically.

 

Mina says she’s sorry, and Momo cries harder.

 

*

 

Mina returns the day after Christmas.

 

Momo is more than startled when Mina stumbles into her apartment in the evening, because Mina isn’t set to return until after New Years. Mina basically leaps onto the couch, takes Momo into her arms, and she apologizes repeatedly, pressing kisses into Momo’s hair. Momo chuckles, pulling Mina closer and burying her face into the crook of Mina’s neck.

 

She sighs, taking in the feeling of Mina’s hands gripping at her shirt. Mina starts sobbing not long after, and Momo smiles, leaving a comforting peck against Mina’s temple. Momo pulls Mina away from her, watching the way Mina’s lips are trembling.

 

It’s Momo’s job to make sure Mina’s happy.

 

Momo nods as Mina struggles and fails to choke out another apology.

 

“It’s not your fault.”

 

*

 

Momo receives car keys the next day, and a letter saying that she has driving lessons to go to now.

Mina seems happier than Momo is when they find out, and Momo decides that everything would be fine with Mina around.

 

*

 

Momo meets her second pitfall in the form of Minatozaki Sana.

 

Momo tells Mina that she thinks Sana is the sun: sometimes a little too bright and excitable that it hurts, but somehow still irresistibly beautiful and attractive. Saying that Sana isn’t attractive would be like saying that the world is flat – only something complete idiots do. Sana is absorbed into their little world easily, with Sana still retaining her bouncy Kansai dialect as she rambles on to Mina and Momo about almost anything in Japanese. Momo thinks it’s nice – Mina’s Kansai dialect is far milder than Momo’s and Sana’s, and it brings a sense of familiarity to Momo.

 

Sana somehow manages to convince the introverted Mina to try out for the cheer team with her, and it’s a little chaotic before the tryouts, but Mina and Sana both pass easily – it’s the flexibility, Mina says, when Sana gushes about Mina being absolutely _amazing_ to a slightly unconvinced Momo. Momo joins the soccer team, albeit more than slightly unenthusiastic about the entire feat, but she says she made some new friends, and that’s good enough.

 

Sana often joins Mina and Momo in Momo’s apartment, oftentimes sleeping over when it gets a little too late.

 

(Momo finds out that Sana was the girl from Osaka who lived in her apartment building. Sana still lives in the apartment building, which is in the other direction of school.

 

Momo doesn’t think driving Sana back home when she hasn’t legally gotten a license would be a good feat in Sana’s parents’ books.)

 

Somehow, Mina feel good about the way she finds Momo smiling fondly at Sana when Sana does basically anything.

 

But maybe it’s just because she’s used to being the only one receiving those smiles.

 

Yeah, maybe.

 

*

 

Mina supposes her first meeting with Jeongyeon was slightly more unpleasant than she’d like.

 

Jeongyeon seemed to be one of the few friends Momo had made in her time with the soccer team, and Momo’s always more than happy to greet her with a huge grin and a fist bump when they see one another in the school hallways.

 

She’d asked Jeongyeon where Momo was when she saw Jeongyeon locking up the soccer team’s locker room. Cheerleading practice had been cancelled that night and Mina thought it wouldn’t hurt to get Momo some take out before picking her up after her practice.

 

She should’ve known from the confused expression painting Jeongyeon’s face.

 

“Momo? She didn’t show up today,” Jeongyeon says, adjusting the duffle bag on her shoulder, “She told me she had some thing to go to. With Sana.”

 

It takes a while, but Mina frowns when she finally processes Jeongyeon’s words. Jeongyeon nods at the expression on Mina’s face, “Yeah, I thought you’d know, of all people.”

 

Mina’s face contorts into a painful expression, and she says, “Yeah, I thought so too.”

 

Mina leaves the takeout for three on Momo’s kitchen counter. Leaves a sticky note:

 

_Bought you some takeout. Put it in the fridge if you’re not going to eat it soon. Warm it up in the microwave. – Mina_

 

All she gets is a text from Momo that says: _thanks minari! you’re the best :) love you_

 

(Momo doesn’t ask her why.

 

But Mina can’t bring herself to be mad at Momo.

 

So she replies: _love you too :)_ )

 

*

 

Mina quickly realizes that it’s near impossible to be angry at Sana.

 

It’s probably the fact that Sana has this endearing factor to everything she does, and also the fact that Mina is a reasonable person who knows that Sana didn’t do anything wrong.

 

Mina leaves Sana and Momo to hang out on their own, occasionally – Mina doesn’t want to be that clingy best friend. Momo quits soccer after another three weeks, stating that it’s not her thing. Momo picks both her and Sana up after cheerleading practice anyway.

 

She can’t say she’s at ease whenever Sana and Momo are together, but she knows Sana isn’t anyone to worry about.

 

(She knows it’s probably just her.)

 

*

 

Mina can’t say she hadn’t been expecting this.

 

Mina watches the way Momo’s eyes twinkle as she asks Mina with a softness that is unlike Momo, “Do you think Sana likes me too?”

 

In the back of her mind, the answer is a no, in size 72 bolded, italicized, underlined characters, because Sana’s straightforward nature tells her that if Sana really did, the two would’ve been dating already. Sana’s affectionate nature rules out physical touch as any type of indication as well.

 

But those thoughts are hazed by Momo’s nervous smile, Momo’s scrunched forehead, Momo’s bright, hopeful eyes and Momo’s tight, anxious grip on her hand.

 

She realizes that Momo’s fallen. Hard.

 

And as she gives the other’s hand a squeeze, a small smile and a mutter of, “There’s always hope.”

 

Mina realizes:

 

She’s fallen hard too.

 

*

 

Mina thinks it’s something alike to a movie plot – one that involves tragic heartbreak that looks severely dramatized but feels even more tragic in reality.

 

Mina realizes that she’s fallen in love with Momo falling in love.

 

*

 

Momo is beautiful when she’s in love.

 

Momo pretty much wears her heart on her sleeve. It would be pretty much the same as if she slammed a neon sign onto the Shibuya building, or perhaps displayed it on the biggest screen in the middle of the New York Times Square on certain days. Her eyes grow fonder – the bright sparkle in her eyes reducing into the shimmer of a star in the sky on good days when light pollution isn’t being a bitch. Momo glows with a soft pink whenever she so much as thinks of Sana, and just _glows_ in general when she’s around Sana. She truly looks at Sana with honey dripping from her eyes, a main dish of fondness with the side of fireworks in Momo’s round eyes.

 

Mina observes everything in (painfully) great detail. She listens to the undertone of bright red love in Momo’s voice, sees the widening of Momo’s lopsided smile, and the parting of Momo’s lips when Momo feels the butterflies hit the walls of her stomach rapidly. Mina knows the exact moments Momo falls a little more, the moments when Momo is going _wow I’m in love with her_ and the moments when Momo is worrying about whether the feelings are mutual. Mina doesn’t miss much when it comes to Momo.

 

(It’s hard to miss anything when you’re in the VIP front row seat in the audience, Mina thinks.)

 

And still, Mina thinks the most painful part of it all is that she thinks Momo looks absolutely _stunning_ through all of this.

 

*

 

"You're quite the dream."

 

Mina laughs fleetingly, swaying like she's somewhat more than tipsy, but she hasn't drunk a single drop. Mina's always put together, still maintaining a slight poise even when she's drunk. It's weird – seeing Mina like this, almost like she's too flighty. It’s too unlike Mina, too alike Sana, especially since Momo knows Mina isn't drunk. She must be happy, Momo concludes. It’s something Sana does well – better than Momo does. Sana makes Mina a little more giggly and lifts Mina off the ground just enough for Mina to act like this. Momo watches as Mina pulls herself closer to Sana, chuckling.

 

"Am I?" Sana laughs as a reply.

 

Momo shoves her hands into her pockets, walks a little quicker so they can't see her face. Mina doesn't take notice – a rare occurrence.

 

"Yeah," Mina giggles, "you are."

 

*

 

When Sana asks, “Do you think Dahyun likes me too?”, Mina has a strange feeling of reminiscence wash over her. The pain is duller than before. That is until her eyes raise to meet Momo’s.

 

Momo has her eyes fixed onto Mina, and Sana’s hand gripping tightly onto Momo’s. Mina swallows, and her eyes gaze over to Sana, who is glancing between Mina and Momo in uncertainty – something uncommon with Sana.

 

She then realizes that Momo is probably feeling the same pain she felt from before, but Mina thinks of the added pain of the false hope Mina had given her, and Mina’s heart falls further. Mina can see Momo’s jaw locking, and her grip on Sana’s hand tightening as her shoulders fall. Momo pulls Sana into her embrace not too long after, and Sana nuzzles her face into Momo’s neck, melting into the warmth.

 

Mina can’t help but feel guilt digging into her throat and it makes it hard to swallow as Momo stares straight at her, with a derisive gaze that spells betrayal and hurt. Momo’s tone towards Sana contrast the gaze directed at Mina as Momo holds Sana tighter.

 

Mina can’t help but feel as though she’s stepping on a shard of glass.

 

Momo hates Mina. Momo hates how Mina knew. She _knew_ that Sana didn’t love her back and she gave her that hope. Mina gave Momo the chance to believe that _somehow,_ Sana loves her too.

 

Momo hates Mina.

 

And Mina can’t help but feel it as Momo says, gripping on Sana’s shirt as she stares right at Mina.

 

“There’s always hope.”

 

Momo’s second pitfall comes to view like this.

 

*

 

Momo’s eighth mistake goes like this.

 

It starts with Mina chasing after Momo into Momo’s room after Sana leaves. Mina barely manages to stop the door from slamming into her. Momo’s never gotten this angry before.

 

"Momo, god damn it—“

 

“Get out, Mina.”

 

“Why are you mad at me?”

 

“What?”

 

“Why are you angry at me?”

 

“ _Why am I angry at you?”_ Momo scoffs, “You’re seriously asking me that?”

 

Mina watches as Momo chuckles lowly, “ _Fuck,_ Mina, I just found out that you were a liar and now _this?_ ”

 

“Momo, wha—”

 

Mina gets cut off by Momo’s chuckling, “I know you think I’m an idiot, Mina, but you’re just an asshole at this point.”

 

“What are you even talking about?” Mina asks, hurt burning into anger as Momo stares at her.

 

“You—” Momo scoffs, “You like Sana don’t you?”

 

Mina’s fiery glare melts into confusion, “What?”

 

And suddenly it clicks.

 

“You think I like _Sana?_ ” Mina sputters, frown slowly disappearing as the situation finally makes sense.

 

“Why else would you do that to me?” Momo questions, and Mina would take her seriously if Mina hadn’t realized the ridiculousness of the entire situation.

 

“I don’t _like_ Sana, you idiot,” Mina snorts, and Momo recoils, clearly confused when she sees Mina’s tears falling.

 

“I like _you_.”

 

Momo visibly stills, limbs frozen as she processes Mina’s confession.

 

Mina helps her along, walking towards her and easing the frown on Momo’s face by gently rubbing her thumb over the creases, hand cupping Momo’s cheek tenderly. Mina is crying, probably looking absolutely foolish in Momo’s eyes as she smiles, rubbing Momo’s cheek gently. Momo’s hand comes up to gently rest on her forearm, and Mina nods, breath hitching as she whispers:

 

“I like you, Momo.”

 

(Momo’s eighth mistake is not liking her back.)

 

*

 

Things return to normal just the next morning – Mina doesn’t like having their friendship on this rocky boat.

 

Sana isn’t any less touchy, though Momo is uncomfortably looking over at Mina every time Sana pounces onto her.

 

When Momo confronts her about Mina’s possible jealousy, Mina laughs, “You’re too considerate for your own good, Momoring.”

 

And as Sana calls for them from the living room, Mina says:

 

“I’m happy if you’re happy.”

 

( _It’s your job to make sure I’m happy, isn’t it?_ )

 

*

 

It’s a dare – her nth blunder in her life.

 

It's cliché, and an incredibly typical mistake. It’s foolish, but Momo thinks it’s the best one yet.

 

It’s a regular day, and they were somehow invited to hang out at Jeongyeon’s. Momo brings Sana and Mina as her plus two (Momo’s not sure if that’s even a thing, but they end up there anyway). They’re a little too sober, and Mina’s getting along well with Jihyo – Momo never knew Jeongyeon even knew Jihyo. Truth or Dare had started all too suddenly and Nayeon leaves in the middle of it – family dinner, apparently – and it’s left with the 6 of them, including Chaeyoung – Jeongyeon had introduced her as her long lost sibling, and they had belatedly discovered that Chaeyoung actually _isn’t_ Jeongyeon’s sister and is actually a new addition to the soccer team that Jeongyeon is particularly fond of.

 

It was a blur of Momo barely being able to speak as they decide that Momo’s chosen truth too many times and had set Momo on a default dare streak after her truth streak. Chaeyoung is an advocate of Sana and Momo as a couple, despite having only met Sana and Momo just over three hours before Truth or Dare even started. Mina has had to eat two packs of ramyeon for a dare – Chaeyoung doesn’t understand why until Mina starts grumbling about the amount of preservatives that a pack contains.

 

(“Have you _seen_ the amount of preservatives in this one pack?” Mina complains as Momo and Sana grin cheekily, having been the ones to suggest the dare.

 

Mina glares at them when they start laughing, and snarls, “You two are going running with me this week.”)

 

So, naturally, Chaeyoung dares Momo to kiss Sana.

 

Sana is fiery.

 

Her touch burns, fingers leaving scars on the skin of Momo’s cheek as she cups the latter’s face. Sana’s smile is cheeky, bordering on a smirk, but her eyes are half-lidded, sparkling as she looks down at Momo through long lashes.  Momo’s fist clenches as she sees Sana’s lips parting,and she feels Sana pulling her closer, feels Sana pressing down onto the couch for support as she leans forward.

 

Momo’s breath hitches as Sana’s lips meet hers, and she tastes Sana’s lip balm – cherry, but it tastes different from when Momo tastes it on her own lips. Sana’s sitting on her thigh now, and Sana’s thighs are cold against Momo’s, burning with how cold it is compared to Momo’s skin. Sana continues leaning forward and Momo has her back pressed against the armrest now. Her hand comes up to clench at Sana’s (Momo’s) shirt.

 

Sana is suffocating.

 

Momo’s throat closes in, slowly constricting her breathing as Sana’s lips begin to move against her own. She tries to respond but her body wouldn’t listen and _god damn it, Sana,_ she can’t breathe.

 

She can’t breathe as Sana swipes her tongue over Mono’s bottom lip. She can’t breathe as Sana slips her tongue into Momo’s mouth. She can’t breathe – she moans, instead – when she feels Sana’s tongue on her own. She can’t breathe as Sana pulls her tongue away and nibbles on Momo’s upper lip. She can’t breathe as Sana takes Momo’s bottom lip between her teeth and pulls.

 

She can’t breathe and her lungs are struggling and— the warmth is gone. Momo pants and her lungs are burning and she wants to curse her body for never listening to her. Her eyes open and she sees that she’s pushed Sana away slightly. Sana has a _stupid,_ smug smile on her face as she swipes her tongue over her lips, not even bothering to move from Momo’s thigh.

 

And _fuck,_ Momo’s in love with the girl. She’s in love with the girl and she wants to tell Sana, wants to kiss Sana’s smug smile off her lips. Even if it’s potentially fatal.

 

But she’s in love with the girl. She loves Sana, and Sana is in love with Kim Dahyun and Momo doesn’t want to hurt Sana. Doesn’t want to hurt Mina, who would carve her heart out of her chest for Momo. Doesn’t want to hurt Mina who is in love with Momo.

 

And Momo wants to curse the heavens – clenched fists and middle fingers to the sky – because she’s _in love with_ Sana. Sana whose touch makes her feel the reverse burn of water entering her lungs, skating fingers pressing into tender skin. Her fleeting, careless words that leave confusion in it’s wake, a jumble of _maybe_ s and _what if?_ s in Momo’s grasp because Sana says it in a way that feels like everything, but probably means nothing.

 

(“You think Sana actually meant it when she said that she loves me the most that day?” Momo had asked, just three weeks before Sana’s declaration of love happened.

 

Mina had given her a passing look that Momo didn’t catch – one that said “ _no, when are you going to realize that?”_ – and a smile that Momo _did_ catch, “Maybe.”

 

“Really?” Momo had asked in false hope, eyes bright and shiny.  Momo understands why Mina had replied with what she said to her right after, with a smile that convinced the all-too-oblivious Momo – she’s in love with Momo the same way Momo’s in love with Sana, after all, and she didn’t want to hurt Momo, but didn’t want to lie to her.

 

Mina nodded, “Probably. You’ll never know for sure – you know how Sana is.”

 

_You know how Sana is_ – a popular response, Momo realizes now.

 

But Momo before had been satisfied with the response, had given Mina a bright smile with her teeth on perfect display.

 

Momo wonders if Mina felt the same pain she feels when Sana does the same thing to her.)

 

Momo wants to love Mina – there’s an unspoken _again,_ but that’ll make Mina feel worse and she doesn’t want that. Momo wants to love someone who doesn’t dig pretty fingers into Momo’s open wounds and doesn’t pry Momo’s pliant heart open with sweet nothings that mean _nothing._

 

(But Momo’s in love with Sana.

 

And life is full of potholes.)

 

She tightens her grip on Sana’s shirt, and she sees Sana’s eyebrow raising and her brown eyes twinkle in confusion. She mentally apologizes to Mina,  and pulls Sana close. She kisses Sana again, but doesn’t manage to wipe the smug smile off her lips.

 

(Momo just seemed to have stepped into more than one.)

 

*

 

Momo finds herself in the kitchen. She wordlessly wanders, using her want for a glass of water as an excuse.

 

(No one wonders why Momo wants water instead of soda. She hates water.)

 

“I’m surprised.”

 

Momo looks up from her glass of water on the kitchen counter to see Mina walking in, holding her own empty glass. Momo waits for Mina to continue, sipping her water as Mina grabs the bottle.

 

As Mina pours, she finally says, “You hate drinking water.”

 

She’s not shocked – of all the people in the room, Mina would notice. There’s laughter from the living room, and she hears Sana’s distinctive voice before Momo asks, “Are you alright?”

 

Mina chuckles, hopping to sit on the kitchen counter, “I should be asking you that.”

 

Momo turns, leaning against the opposite kitchen counter and looking up at Mina. There’s a lopsided smile on her face as she says, “Yeah, I’m good. You?”

 

Mina shrugs, barely giving any distinctive answer for Momo to comprehend, and she hums, swinging her legs, “You could’ve said no if you didn’t want to do it, you know?”

 

“I know,” Momo answers with a chuckle – it’s a self-depreciating one, raspy and mocking, “But I wanted to.”

 

There’s more yelling, and there’s a pause in their conversation as Mina nods, taking a gulp of her drink. Momo watches as Mina sets the cup down next to her.

 

“I understand,” Mina says, giving Momo a small smile. Momo’s jaw clenches as the guilt seeps in slowly, and she takes a drink to try to wash it away. Mina’s eyes are casted downwards, hands gripping at the edge of the counter, “I would’ve done the same.”

 

Momo’s eyes raise from her cup, “With Sana?”

 

“No, you idiot,” Mina laughs – it’s her amused one – and she shakes her head, her tone becoming softer, gentler, “If it were you.”

 

Momo hums in acknowledgement, feels the guilt seeping in again, and her head drops. There’s laughter again, and she hears Sana yelling in protest, Jeongyeon yelling a reply. She stares at Mina’s feet and sees light pink nail polish – Sana’s choice and application while Mina was doing her work – and feels herself gripping at the edge of the counter. Mina crosses her feet, and Momo wonders if Mina knows the guilt Momo feels. Maybe she’s even doing it on purpose.

 

She sees Mina hopping off the counter, taking a step towards her, and her head raises when she feels Mina taking her hand. Mina is smiling – her small, sincere and warm smile on her pink lips. She hears Sana’s voice again – high-pitched and distinctive – and she thinks of the hurt Mina’s probably going through. Momo wonders if Mina’s heart is as tired as hers after being stretched and beaten numerous times. Momo thinks that it’s only fair that she feels the guilt – she’s the cause of Mina’s pain, anyway.

 

Mina tugs at her hand, and Momo sees Mina forcing her smile brighter, “Let’s go. They’re probably wondering where we are.”

 

Momo feels her heart clench when she hears Sana again, and Mina’s pulling her to the living room with a firm grip. It loosens when they reach the living room, and Mina lets go when Sana pulls her onto the couch, essentially latching herself onto Momo as Mina joins Jihyo on the floor.

 

Mina gives her a small smile, and Momo feels herself sink.

 

Sana nuzzles her head into Momo’s neck.

 

_After all, it’s only fair._

*

 

“Are you going to tell her?” Mina asks, knees pulled up against her chest as she stares blankly at the television screen.

 

Momo hums, leaning back into the couch as she thinks about it. It’s been a while since she considered it – confessing. It had died the night Sana professed her love for Dahyun to the both of them, since Momo guesses that it was no longer an option. There’s a lot she could lose from confessing to Sana, though she guesses that didn’t stop her from confessing to Mina.

 

(She inwardly winces at the bitter thought of that crossing her mind.)

 

“I don’t know why I would,” Momo answers, honestly. There is nothing she could really gain from confessing to Sana, just more losses than anything else other than answers she already has.

 

Momo feels Mina shifting, hugging her knees closer.

 

“You fell in love with her,” Mina simply says.

 

Momo ignores the minuscule strain in Mina’s voice, and the obvious tinge of jealousy.

 

Jealousy isn’t a pretty look on Mina.

 

Momo lets the noise of the sitcom playing on the television drown the silence. It takes little to no time before Momo concludes again that there is nothing she could gain from telling Sana when she knows Sana’s answer.

 

"So I fell in love with her," Momo chuckles, shifting her feet, "so what?"

 

It’s silent for a while, and Momo turns to see Mina staring at her feet blankly. Momo watches as a smile grows on Mina’s lips.

 

"So I fell in love with you," Mina says. She lifts her head, and the warm gaze Mina gives her startles Momo somehow.

 

There’s a beat. Then:

 

"So what?"

 

(Momo realizes that Mina means:

 

Answers aren’t needed for statements.)

 

*

 

Momo tells Sana she likes her. It’s complicated this time, with tears running down Momo’s cheeks, Momo blabbering and stuttering, breath hitching in between words and Momo apologizing because she knows Sana likes Dahyun and doesn’t feel the same way.

 

Sana makes it a little simpler.

 

Sana cuts Momo off mid-blabber, ignoring the ringtone that goes off – a message tone she has specially for Mina and Momo. Sana cups Momo’s cheeks with one hand, brushes the bangs out of Momo’s eyes. She smiles, softly, fondly, and says, “I know.”

 

Momo can see the apology written in Sana’s eyes, though she doesn’t say it, because she knows she’s not at fault. Sana’s words are simple, even though not straightforward. Sana says it as it is: she knows.

 

Sana doesn’t try to soften the blow. She knows that Momo knew the outcome before this happened, and Sana knows trying to soften it won’t help Momo either.

 

Momo stops, heart racing in her ears, and she can only stare dumbly as Sana nods, wiping the tears out of Momo’s eyes.

 

Sana’s rejection is even simpler.

 

“I know.”

 

*

 

Momo ends up in Mina’s arms that night, under Mina’s blankets as Mina presses kisses into the crown of Momo’s head. She lets Momo sob into her shirt, brushes Momo’s bangs back as she cries. She shakes her head when her mother pokes her head into her room, and she makes a mental note to make Momo drink water the next morning.

 

"Slow down, Icarus," Mina whispers, features twisting into a wry smile as she presses her lips against Momo's temple before nosing into Momo's hair, pulling her closer. She feels Momo shifting, muscles relaxing as she gently coaxes herself into Mina, nose digging into the ridge just below Mina's collarbone.

 

"The sun isn't as beautiful as you think from this close."

 

Momo looks up at Mina, teary eyes meeting Mina’s, and Mina thinks it looks too much like Momo having a galaxy in her eyes – something she’d like to swim in. And it’s almost fatal – how beautiful Momo looks from up close, all the little things that would be too hard to notice from afar.

 

“I know,” is all Momo says, soft and strained, shifting to bury her face into the crook of Mina’s neck again.

 

Mina thinks her sun looks even more beautiful from this close.

 

*

 

Mina gets a text from Sana when Momo’s finally asleep.

 

**Sana-chan:** i know you’ll take better care of momo than i ever will

**Sana-chan:** but take care of her okay?

**Sana-chan:** i’m sorry

 

**Mitang:** i know

 

(Mina doesn’t mean it as revenge, but Sana feels like it is.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, you can find me at mimotozakis on tumblr woo

**Author's Note:**

> other chapters will be posted up when i'm done with them. don't know when that's be though...
> 
> thanks for reading! it'd be great if you leave comments!


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